Aster plant named ‘Yofrolic’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aster  plant named ‘Yofrolic’, characterized by its uniform, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform and freely flowering habit; natural flowering season later August in the northern hemisphere; daisy-type inflorescences with violet-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Aster hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yofrolic’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant, botanically known as Aster hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yofrolic’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Aster cultivars with uniform and rounded plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable and unique floret colors, and good garden performance.

The new Aster originated from an open-pollination in February, 2001, in Alva, Fla. of an unnamed Aster hybrida seedling selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown Aster hybrida seedling selection, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment Alva, Fla. in October, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, vigor and desirable ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in December, 2002. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Aster are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yofrolic have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yofrolic’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yofrolic’ as a new and distinct potted Aster cultivar.

-   -   1. Uniform, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Natural flowering season late August in the northern         hemisphere.     -   6. Daisy-type inflorescences with violet-colored ray florets.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Aster differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster are larger and more mounding than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster flower about one week earlier than         plants of the female parent selection when grown under natural         season conditions.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Aster do not fade as quickly         as ray florets of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the Aster cultivar Patricia Ballard, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Aster differed from plants of the cultivar Patricia Ballard in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were smaller and more mounding than         plants of the cultivar Patricia Ballard.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster were stronger than plants of the         cultivar Patricia Ballard.     -   3. Plants of the new Aster flowered a few days earlier than         plants of the cultivar Patricia Ballard when grown under natural         season conditions.     -   4. Plants of the new Aster and the cultivar Patricia Ballard         differed in ray floret coloration.     -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Aster lasted longer than         inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Patricia Ballard.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the Aster cultivar Thyra Viking, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,361. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Aster differed from plants of the cultivar Thyra Viking in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were smaller and more uniform than         plants of the cultivar Thyra Viking.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster flowered earlier than plants of the         cultivar Thyra Viking when grown under natural season         conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Aster and the cultivar Thyra Viking         differed in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aster. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Aster.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yofrolic’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yofrolic’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in Pendleton, S.C. in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Aster production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 32° C. and night temperatures averaged 21° C. Rooted cuttings were planted in 20 cm-containers, exposed to natural season conditions. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about three months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Aster hybrida cultivar Yofrolic. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed Aster hybrida seedling             selection, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown Aster hybrida seedling             selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at temperatures of             about 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 16 to 18 days at             temperatures of about 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Aster. Upright with             lateral branches somewhat outwardly spreading; inverted             triangle with uniformly mounded crown. Strong and freely             branching growth habit with about ten primary lateral             branches each with numerous secondary and tertiary branches;             dense and full plants. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 21 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 3 cm.         -   Width.—About 5 mm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.

    -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Clasping.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 147A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to             147A; venation, 147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:             Close to 147B; venation, 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with             ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above and beyond the foliage. Disk and ray florets             arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescence not             fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in late August in the Northern Hemisphere. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences last about four weeks on the             plant.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about 58             inflorescences develop per lateral stem.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About             8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 75C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.5 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1 cm. Receptacle             height: About 7 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.4 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About 2.5 mm.             Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Slightly emarginate. Base: Acute to             attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Orientation: Initially             upright, then about 90° from vertical or perpendicular to             peduncle; apices reflexing with development. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 92 arranged in about six or             seven whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             88B to 88C. When opening, lower surface: Close to 77D. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 87A; color becoming closer             to 76A with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 77D; color becoming closer to 76C to 76D with             development.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About             1.2 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 60. Color, immature: Apex: Close to             150B. Mid-section: Close to 150D. Base: Close to 157A.             Color, mature: Apex: Close to 156B. Mid-section: Close to             156B. Base: Close to 157A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 60             arranged in about eight whorls. Length: About 5 mm. Width:             About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 4.3 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 6.5 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About             1.5 mm. Angle: Upright to about 45′ to 50° from vertical.             Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 147A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 4 mm. Filament color: Close to             1C. Anther shape: Slender, elongated oblong. Anther length:             About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 2C. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 2C. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 157A. Style length:             About 4 mm. Style color: Close to 157C. Ovary color: Close             to 157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Asters has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to be     rain and wind tolerant and to tolerate temperatures from 2° C. to     about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Aster plant named ‘Yofrolic’ as illustrated and described. 